


It'll Be Okay (Eventually)

by cherryade



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 07:10:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryade/pseuds/cherryade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After everything quiets and slowly returns to normal, Clint falls apart. Post-Avengers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It'll Be Okay (Eventually)

**Author's Note:**

> First foray into the Avengers fandom! (:
> 
> I know Clint's guilt regarding his actions while he was under Loki's control has been done many many times before by much better writers but I hope you'll give this one a chance. It's a mild Clint/Bruce fic with an optimistic ending.
> 
> Hope you like it (:

_“You have heart.”_

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 550.

_Blue._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 551.

_Hazy._

Nock, aim. release, thud, bullseye, 552.

_What’s going on?_

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 553.

_Gunshots._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 554.

_The sure feel of his hands on a bow. The whistling of the arrow as it cuts through the air._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 555.

_Explosions._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 556.

_Fighting. Flaming red hair. Stunning pain that blossoms in his skull. Darkness._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 557.

_Strapped down. Can’t move. Please. Take them off._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 558.

_Blood._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 559.

_Blood._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 560.

_So much blood._

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 561.

“Clint.”

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 562.

“Clint, enough.”

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 563.

“You’ve been at it for hours.”

Nock, aim, release, thud, bullseye, 564.

A warm hand descends on his shoulder. Clint tenses. There is a flurry of motion and before he knows it, he has his bow against Bruce’s throat, his knee braced on his stomach. He’s breathing hard, sweat dripping from his hair and soaking his shirt. Bruce is staring at him with wide eyes, his hands pushing gently against Clint’s chest.

“Hey hey, Clint. It’s just me,” Bruce says. Clint scrambles back, cradling the bow to himself as a look of horror steals across his features.

A look of pain flashes across Bruce’s face. He approaches Clint carefully, a hand reaching out in what he hopes is a non-threatening gesture. Clint looks up. His expression is shuttered but the self-loathing in his eyes burns through Bruce and causes tears to sting his eyes.

“Clint,” Bruce murmurs, placing a hand on his arm. Clint stills utterly, freezing into a human statue. “Come back to me.”

Clint blinks.

Bruce scoots over and kneels before Clint, framing his face with his hands.

“Clint, you in there?”

“B-Bruce?” Clint stammers. He closes his eyes briefly before his eyelids flicker open again.

“Bruce.”

Bruce smiles. Clint places his bow gently on the floor and curls into himself.

“I killed them.”

Bruce grimaces and wraps his arms around Clint. Clint squirms.

“That was Loki. It wasn’t you.”

Clint inhales sharply.

“It was my orders. My bow. My arrows. Me.”

The names flash before his eyes, names he knows and faces he recognizes, covered in blood. There is one name he refuses acknowledge, one face he refuses to see. Bruce nudges Clint away gently and pokes Clint until he’s looking at him. Clint’s eyes are red-rimmed and yet no tears are falling.

“It’s not your fault,” Bruce says empathetically. Clint tenses and shakes his head. He begins to tremble, abused muscles screaming in protest as he clenches them, forcing the pain to course through his body.

“Clint, relax.” Bruce’s voice is a mix of worry and concern. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Don’t,” Clint whispers as he attempts to pull away from Bruce. Bruce’s arms tighten around him. “Don’t be so nice to me. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you.”

A pained expression flitters across Bruce’s face at the mention of the idea he’s been trying to talk out of Clint, the idea that he isn’t good enough. He traps Clint between his arms as Clint struggles to escape. His muffled whimpers turn into quiet sobs and before long, the strong, smartass archer that the world saw was a shaking heap in Bruce’s embrace.

“Please,” Clint whimpers, his face buried in Bruce’s shoulder. “Bruce, make it stop. I can’t take it anymore. I _can’t_. Make it stop hurting. Please.“

“Shh,” Bruce says soothingly, a green haze clouding his vision as the Hulk’s anger threatened to break through. _(who hurt Cupid Hulk smash) (Shh it’s okay it’s okay I’ll handle it Cupid’s gonna be fine)_

Clint chokes on a sob as Bruce runs one hand up and down his back and another through his hair. Clint is a shaking quivering mess in his arms and it breaks his heart to watch his capable hawk fall apart.

“It’s okay, Clint,” Bruce says, lost as to how he can help. _(Hulk help Hulk smash) (no Hulk smashing won’t help this time)_ “It’ll be alright.”

Clint makes a noise of denial at the back of his throat and finally wraps his arms around Bruce’s waist.

“Don’t leave,” he mumbles, his exhaustion catching up on him. “Need you. Need to keep sane.” His body forces him to relax, unconsciousness overtaking him as the last of the adrenaline leaves him.

Bruce sighs and arranges them both into a comfortable position on the shooting range floor. It’s three in the morning, but he knows he won’t be getting any sleep tonight.

_(Cupid better now) (not yet but he will be I’ll make sure of it)_

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it's not too OOC :/
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
